The Cayman Islands Darts Association is aiming to bring the sport back into the spotlight, after facing several setbacks over the years.
After two years of cancellations, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the association is expected to reintroduce league-play later this year with the hope of growing the sport, according to Cassius Anglin, president of the association.
“I tried to put on a corporate league last year, but it wasn’t successful,” Anglin told the Cayman Compass. “We are looking to have a corporate league and a government league. I’m aiming for the end of June to get that kicked off, if not early September.”
The Cayman Islands has been represented at multiple international and regional competitions in the past, including the Caribbean Darts Championships.
Most recently, the association held a memorial tournament in honour of Edsell Haylock, which featured 20 competitors. Anglin said the sport has seen a decrease in participants locally, but he is looking to change that soon.
“Here on the local scene, we have seen numbers drop and we have seen some new players come in, of course,” he said.
Based on the Professional Darts Corporation prize money data, the top-ranked 159 players on the circuit can earn upwards of US$40,000 annually from prize money, with additional earnings coming from sponsorship.
Anglin said, while there is money to be made in the sport, it also brings a sense of fellowship between players.
“The sport has grown tremendously, especially in the bigger countries. Darts is an exciting sport. I’ve been playing darts for 25 years now and, trust me, once I got into it, I fell in love with it.
“It builds camaraderie amongst people. To me, it’s probably one of the best sports.”
In addition, CIDA is expected to host their National Championship finale in mid-June.
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